Classroom Inclusion through Names

December 9, 2015

Wait, that’s how you say your name! Saying a name right is a sign of respect and inclusion. But with increasingly diverse classrooms, saying student names correctly is challenging. Even when you’ve known a student well, teachers can become surprised at graduation to learn that the whole community has been saying a name wrong the whole time! As Jason Markey, the principal of Leyden High School observed, students are often too polite or embarrassed to correct anyone.

But mispronouncing a name can alienate students and make them feel they don’t quite belong, as recent studies show.

For teachers celebrating Inclusive Schools Week, NameCoach has provided free access to a tool that makes name pronunciation easier and communicates to each student that you care about their cultural identity and heritage.

NameCoach is like a language-learning software for names – it allows students to voice-record their name pronunciation, which is then available to teachers so they can make sure they’re saying names correctly.

With exclusive free access to the app*, you can get your students recording their names during ISW! Students can also put their free ‘NameBadge’ in their email signature, so everyone can know how to say their name.

* Go to NameCoach and click ‘Try Free for 30 Days’ at the bottom. With promo code ISW2015, individual teachers will gain completely free access to the service.